1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to container apparatus and, in particular, to a container apparatus that dispenses items, such as edible treats. Still more particularly, the present invention is related to a closure for a container apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the art that boredom is a significant contributor to destructive behavior in domesticated animals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,318 to Rucker and the prior art referenced therein disclose that barking, digging and other destructive behaviors are common problem behaviors of canines that become discontented or bored. As further disclosed in these patents, one common approach utilized in the art to address such destructive behaviors in dogs is to provide a toy that dispenses food (e.g., treats) from its hollow interior cavity through a hole as a dog interacts with the toy.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,318 to Rucker farther discloses the use of an edible plug to seal the hole through which the treats are dispensed from the interior cavity of the toy so that the treats do not prematurely spill out of the hole and the duration of a dog's interaction with the toy is extended. Rucker specifically teaches that it is desirable that the edible plug should be designed to be readily dislodged by the dog. Consequently, Rucker's plug is designed with a conic or cylindrical section and, when installed, has a larger diameter portion external to the toy and a smaller diameter portion inside the toy. This design permits the dog to easily remove the plug from the toy using its teeth, either by shearing the larger diameter portion from the smaller diameter portion or by pulling the plug out of hole.